Oliver and Josh have known each other for many years having ridden as amateurs on the racecourse and point to pointing. Both rode plenty of winners on the track before moving into the training side of the industry. Oliver learnt his trade at Michael Easterby’s and Sir Mark Prescott’s whilst Josh worked for Phillip Hobbs and Victor Dartnall before taking on the role of Assistant to Dan Skelton.
When Josh moved to Dan Skelton’s as his assistant for Dan’s first 3 years Oliver got to know him better and when there became an opportunity for someone to come to Stockton Hall as Assistant Trainer Josh felt it was the right move and started as Assistant once Oliver gained his trainers license. Since then the pair have become partners in the business Stockton Hall Farm LLP and now the joint trainers license is the final step. It is uncommon for a non-family pair to adopt the joint license however in doing so it enables the yard to achieve so much more. The yard specialises in syndicates and with 90% of our horses in joint ownership, looking after the owners and going racing with owners that takes Olivers full attention and so it is essential that Josh and the other staff fully focus on training the horses and finding the best opportunities for them instead of trying to do everything. By both having these very specific jobs the yard can work very smoothly and achieve high standards.
Oliver & Josh are fortunate to have an experienced hard working and enthusiastic team to support them:
Cai is in charge of the day to day running of the yard and his attention detail and fantastic people skills enable the yard to run like clock work and to a very high standard.
Prior to joining us, Cai has previously been with local trainers including Donald McCain and Gary Hamner. In addition to his responsibilities as Head Lad, Cai is a great asset in riding work and schooling.
Having been full-time at the yard for over 8 years, Dan is now working freelance and remains a key member of the team, doing all the weekly horse updates for owners as well as attending the races. He is key in sourcing and buying new horses for the yard, either privately or through the sales ring.
Rachael joined us in the back end of 2021 as travelling head girl and is a massive addition to the team here at Stockton Hall. She overseas all the racing, as well as going a lot herself. She helps organise the schedule of who goes racing, especially when we have multiple meetings. Over recent months she has established herself as a important and well respected member of the team.
In August 2021, Jane became a valuable addition to the team, bringing with her a wealth of experience from local NH and dressage yards. Her role involves the performance of various general yard duties alongside the rest of the team, ensuring the smooth day-to-day operation of the facility. Jane actively assists riders, contributing to the overall efficiency of the yard as well as attending race meetings. She plays a crucial role in supporting physiotherapists and veterinarians during procedures and minor operations. Moreover, she takes pride in providing mentorship and support to new and younger members of the staff, actively contributing to the fostering of a collaborative and growth-oriented work environment.
Steve is a yard man here at Stockton Hall and has been for a while now and is a massive part of the team and has been for many years and has very few days off!
Alice is our Racing Secretary. She runs all the syndicate and corresponds with all owners.
Colin joined us in January 2023 after a long stint as Assistant Trainer at Manor House stables, having previously worked for John Hills and Dalhum Hall Stud. He has an abundance of knowledge and experience that will be extremely helpful in the day to day running of the yard and liaising with owners.
Toby started full time in 2019 at Stockton Hall after riding out on Weekends and school holidays for a couple of years. He had plenty of success pony racing when younger and has been riding in point to points and on the track as a amateur the last few seasons.
George Cowley joined us in December 2021, having previously worked for Dan Skelton. George is a very capable rider who already has his amateur licence and has ridden in point to points. He does plenty of schooling here at Stockton Hall and hopefully we will be able to get him some rides.
Having worked for many yards Cat is a great asset to the yard. She is a very talented rider and has great husbandry skills and all her experience riding comes in to great use as well as general experience around the yard.
Lucy has joined us from British Racing School but has been around horses all her life and has slotted into the team here at Stockton Hall very quickly and is a confident rider. She is going to have some rides in point to points this year on her own horse and that will be a great starting point for her future.
Ryan joined the team this season after moving to the area and with him experience has been a huge help. Ryan rode 100 winners on the track and he is also a big help to the younger riders and we are delighted to have him part of the team here! He is also taking a strong interest in photography which is also a big help as you will see with a lot of his photos on the website.
It’s great to have Ross back here every morning riding out and is a massive asset to have especially on schooling and work mornings. He rode 35 winners on the track and enjoyed a successful time as a conditional here at Stockton Hall and he is a fantastic person to have around.
Paige has come to us straight form the National Racing College, she excelled at college and has done extremely well since starting here. She will continue her studies while at work but is already riding plenty of different horses and very helpful on the yard.
Paddy has been coming in a few times a week for a few years now. He brings a boost to the team every morning he is in and, as well as riding his own horses he is involved in, he is a massive help to us all the time. He rides in charity races himself and has had some great results.